Why getting qualified now is a better time than ever for your project management career
Looking at job data, we reveal why now is the exact time you need to qualify in project management in New Zealand and Australia.
I've worked in project management career consultancy for several years now, and I can say with certainty that demand for qualified project professionals is booming like never before.
Whether you're already working in the project management sector and are looking to take the next step, or you’re launching your tech career from scratch, you can be sure that now is the time to make a serious investment in your qualifications.
Based on huge data sets from leading online employment marketplace, Seek, I’ve put together this article on the current projection and demand for roles within some key areas of tech across Australia and New Zealand to help inform your next step in terms of career progression.
At this point you should be well acquainted with what a project manager does. I’m here to give you the facts and figures around this career choice to show you now is a better time than ever to get qualified and ready for your next job by April.
New Zealand’s high demand for project managers
Project management is an excellent career choice for those who have an interest in planning and organising large projects and motivating and leading a team. A crucial role within any organisation with great career growth across Australia and New Zealand.
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Adam is a Senior Career Consultant at Learning People, specialising in helping people move into IT, Project Management, Cyber Security, Software Development, and Cloud Computing roles through personalised 1:1 consultation. He understands well which skills and certifications employers value most in today’s fast-evolving tech landscape.
Most transferrable skills for Project Management
Communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience, problem-solving and time management are soft skills you might already possess which are incredibly valuable in project management roles.
With 3,615 jobs currently live on Seek.com, I wanted to take a look at why this is a fantastic career to get into with steady demand in some fascinating sectors. 19% of current live jobs are within Construction, followed by Engineering (15%), Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (7%), and Government & Defence (5%).
These roles are looking at salaries of around $120,000NZD jumping up to as high as $165,000NZD in the Wellington Region of New Zealand.
More specific areas of project management, like within Information Technology offer an average salary of over $141,400NZD, followed by Banking & Financial services offering a generous $137,900NZD, and $124,000NZD for those working in Consulting & Strategy.
There is absolutely no denying that these roles will continue to be crucial to New Zealand’s businesses, with human critical thinking being at the forefront of these roles.
Australia’s Project Management Boom
There’s no denying that a career in project management is a smart choice for Australians. For those at the beginning of your journey, you might not think this is the right choice for you, but let me assure you, your skills and hard work will pay off when it comes to roles.
Junior positions, like Project Administration roles, come with an average salary of $85,000AUD with the highest salaries of over $135,000AUD found in Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia. These positions have healthy demand with 9,477 opportunities currently live on Seek.com.
Did you know Project Managers in Australia have great job satisfaction?
Seek shows that job satisfaction, salary, work-life balance and career progression are rated the highest when surveying project managers.
There are currently 14,423 jobs live in Australia right now for the title ‘Project Manager’ with Construction having by far the highest demand (29%), followed by Administration & Office Support (4%) and Consulting & Strategy (3%).
A Project Manager’s typical salary is around $150,000AUD with it hitting in excess of $255,000AUD in South Australia's Outback region. There is a 9.3% projection in job growth over the next five years for these roles, and with an infrastructure boom happening across Australia, it’s a better time than ever to get qualified in project management.
If you were looking to get into a specific type of role, like an IT Project Manager, you would be looking at an average salary of $130,000AUD and hitting over $155,500AUD in areas of NSW. These roles have even higher demand with 5,891 jobs currently live on Seek with a massive 17.7% predicted job growth within the next 5 years.
Supporting you through your career change
This could all be a reality if you start your training now, with some qualifications taking as little as 30 hours, you could be well on your way to a new role by, or even before April, your dream job could be just weeks away.
At Learning People, we offer more than just qualifications, we are dedicated to supporting you until you land that first role. Our expert Career Services team is here to guide you through tailored 1:1 support in your job hunt. Whether you need help writing your resume, or want to practice your interview techniques, our team are on hand to take you through each step.
Our dedication to our student’s success has helped us create and launch a new and improved version of our Career Services to ensure you the best chance possible when entering the job market.
You can learn more about the support we offer by clicking the button below.
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